In a variety of technologies foams are generated in one step and have to be broken in a further step. Such foams usually consist of a continuous liquid phase with small gas bubbles entrapped therein. Generally, the separation becomes more difficult the smaller the bubbles are.
In the fermentation art foam breakers have become widely known which comprise a plurality of frustoconically shaped surfaces coaxially arranged with a constant distance between them. These surfaces, when put into rapid rotation, cause the foam to be broken apart with the heavier liquid leaving the foam breaker at its circumference whereas the gas is withdrawn from an axial central conduit. It is a continuing goal in the industry to provide apparatus and processes allowing to carry out a foam breaking step in an efficient and economically more feasible manner than heretofore possible.